Proceed with care

Rafe Needleman CNET

Published: 20 Jul 2005

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As I wrote this article, Internet Explorer stopped working on my notebook computer. The program simply wouldn't start up. When I clicked Web links in email, I got a File Save box instead of being taken to IE. It was one of those weird but frustrating computer problems that many Windows users are accustomed to.

Now, I've had problems like this in the past, and in many cases, my attempts to fix things have made things much worse. But I like to think that my relationship with Windows has matured, and that I'm less likely today to try a rash fix (or a whole bunch of them) that would most likely make the situation worse. So before I dove into troubleshooting, I did a smart thing. And then I did a few more smart things. And you know what? I fixed the problem without making things worse.

Here are a few troubleshooting tips I've learned along the way. And I think they apply to a lot of situations, not just fixing PCs.

Disclaimer: These are my ideas, based on what I've learned over years of breaking things (for example, reinstalling Windows when the real problem was a software conflict between an old version of Laplink and a video driver). I can't possibly cover every situation, and of course I can't take responsibility for the outcome of following this advice. All I'm really suggesting is this: Fix your PC deliberately. Don't rush it.

First, stop
Stop everything. Unless the computer is on fire or making strange noises, leave it on. Get up. Stretch. Give yourself a chance to wrap your mind around the problem. If you have time, take a break: eat a meal, smoke a cigarette, bounce your child on your knee. Think of your sputtering computer the way a pilot flying high over the ground treats the situation. You have some time to work on the problem. Use it to make yourself smart.

Save your data and reboot
Before you launch into heroics with the fix of last resort -- reinstalling Windows or something similar -- take any data you're working on at the moment and save it. If you think your computer is seriously deranged, save the data somewhere other than your hard disk: on a floppy, a network drive, a USB stick or in email to yourself. Then reboot your computer and see if it's still acting up. PCs can be like old cars: cranky and unpredictable and prone to one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-while bugs.

What's the last change you made?
A problem in one program may be caused by another program. So ask yourself what you did last that could have put software on your PC? Did you install a demo or a new driver? Is there spyware or a virus on your system?

If you've been mucking around and you just installed something, then uninstall it, reboot and see if your problem still exists. Also, scan for viruses and especially spyware.

Then, research
Assuming you do have a repeatable problem, go online and do some research. In my case, I Googled 'Internet Explorer 6 stopped working'. I found some interesting opinions and several different solutions to fix the problem.

Remember, though, that free advice is worth what you pay for it. You need to apply your own common-sense filter to what you read online. And if a fix sounds too involved for your skill level or the instructions are not clear (say, it's a complex registry fix that you have a problem visualising), you might want to remove it from your fix list.

Regarding the solutions I found online: what I would have done when younger is to implement all of the solutions at once, figuring that if one fix is good, two or three must be better -- which is rarely the case.

Make no sudden moves
Do one thing at a time. Write down what you are doing. Evaluate the effectiveness. If the first attempt doesn't work, see if you can undo it, then do another. If you're working on a software issue, reboot between steps.

Don't start a fix you can't finish
Many times, fixing a software issue involves reinstalling something. You may find that this is not as easy as you might think it is. Be sure you have all of the necessary software, discs, and licence keys to start; otherwise, you may find yourself with the equivalent of your car with its engine on the ground, while you stand there lacking the right bolts to put it back in.

If you call tech support, be a nag
When dealing with professional technical help, be an annoying patient: ask a lot of questions. Force your PC doctor to explain what he or she is doing and why. It's your computer, or at least your data, and you have a right to know what's happening. There are good and bad technical helpers, and the good ones talk to you, and they move slowly if you ask them. They'll also start by gathering a history of your problem before they launch into a fix. If your helper sets up at your computer and says something like, 'OK, let's start by reinstalling Windows,' stop that person immediately. Would you want a doctor to operate, or even prescribe a medication, without taking a history?

Likewise, when a telephone rep recommends that you start by reformatting your hard disk, have him or her back up and run through a checklist of other options. Better yet, find a more knowledgeable support person. Will it take more time? Yes. But do you want your computer fixed, or do you want to give it a lobotomy?

I have no idea what caused my system to break in the first place, but the fix turned out to be the one at the top of my Google results, and it was no more involved than running a program that comes with Windows, the System File Checker. It was not an obvious repair -- I'd never used or even heard of the utility before -- so I did not have high hopes that it would work. But it did, and thanks to the fact that I did some research before I got to work and that I then tried the fix in isolation from other repairs, it ended up being a pretty innocuous problem. It took me about 15 minutes to research, and the System File Checker program ran while I was having dinner; when I came back to my computer, it was working again. If I had only worked like this in the past with other PC bugs, I probably could have saved myself from countless reinstallations of Windows.

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